Freitas and Raheem Bore for Title

MASHANTUCKET, CT - Acelino Freitas won the vacant WBO lightweight title Saturday night with a split decision over Zahir Raheem.

Freitas, 38-1, from Brazil, used his jab, overhand right and cleaner punching to claim the fourth world title of his career. The judges scored the fight 115-113 and 116-112 for Freitas. One judge had Raheem winning 115-113.

Freitas reclaimed the title he lost to Diego Corrales in 2004. Corrales declined a mandatory defence of the title against Freitas and was stripped of his belt.

Raheem, 27-2, from Philadelphia, earned the right to fight for the title with an impressive unanimous decision over Erik Morales in October.

Freitas was the aggressor through the early part of the fight. He used his jab and overhand right to keep Raheem measured.

Freitas connected regularly with the right hand and a straight right in the fourth round opening up a small cut under Raheem's right eye. Raheem steadied himself in the sixth using his jab to temporarily stop Freitas from coming forward.

In another fight, former Olympic gold medallists Andrew Ward remained undefeated, stopping Andy Kolle at the end of the sixth round for a TKO in their middleweight bout.

Ward, a 2004 gold medallists from Oakland, dominated the fight for six rounds before Kolle's corner threw in the towel after the sixth round.

Ward, 9-0 used a devastating mix of power punches and skill to stop Kolle, 9-1, a Minnesota native.

It was Ward's first bout scheduled for more than eight rounds, and it was supposed to be the toughest test of his career so far.

After feeling out Kolle for the first two rounds, Ward started attacking in the third. He wobbled Kolle in the final seconds of the sixth round, and Kolle's corner wouldn't let him come out for the seventh.

Karl Foster
East Coast Correspondent

Information from other publications and wire services was used in the compilation of this report.